Our positive plan for Haringey

With just days until the local elections here in Haringey, things are really hotting up! My colleagues, the Haringey Liberal Democrats, have put forward a fantastic manifesto, aimed at ending forty years of Labour misrule at Haringey Council. The Haringey Lib Dems want to take control of the council, and – together with residents – fix our borough for good.

There are six key policies in the Manifesto that really stand out for me.

The local Lib Dems have promised to freeze Council Tax for four years. Over the past forty years, the Labour administration hiked up our bills by hundreds of pounds. The most recent freeze is down to local Lib Dem pressure, and the Lib Dems in Government offering councils extra money if they freeze Council Tax.

A further four year freeze will help individuals and families in the borough with the cost of living.

A Lib Dem council would also invest £1 million in our roads and pavements. After years of neglect by Haringey Labour – there are more potholes and cracked pavements here than you can count – and this needs fixing.

Modern, energy efficient street lighting has also been promised. That’s good for the environment, it would help the police fight crime, and it would save the council money in the long term, too.

The local Lib Dems and I have long been campaigning for 30 minutes free parking on our high streets – after Labour hiked up charges to £3 an hour, putting off shoppers and harming our local high street traders. 30 minutes free is in the manifesto, too, and would be delivered by a Liberal Democrat council.

The local Lib Dems and I have also been campaigning for fairer health funding and a more effective children’s service department in Haringey.

The shocking child protection failures by Haringey Council – like Baby P, Victoria Climbe, and most recently Child T, must stop. And, having secured £7.6million extra in health funding, the local Lib Dems and I want to get even more. Having the Lib Dems in power in Haringey will help both causes.

Finally – the Haringey Lib Dems would take real action on housing – by building the first new council homes in Haringey for 25 years (that’s right – Haringey Labour haven’t built any during this time.)

All of these policies are fully-costed. We have identified £3 million of savings (per year) that can be made to the council’s budgets without hitting frontline services, just by cutting Haringey Labour’s current waste. There would be no bonuses for failure, or taxpayer funded trips abroad with the Lib Dems in charge!

And remember – it’s only the Lib Dems who can kick Labour out in Haringey – there are no Conservative, Green or UKIP councillors in the entire borough. Please make your vote count on May 22nd.